Engine



p 12,1939 A. J. MEYER 2,172,541

ENGINE Filed April 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet .1

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BY #iaik ATTORNEY:

A. J. MEYER Sept. 12, 1939.

ENGINE Filed April 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2!v I I 1 I Fig.4.

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Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES ENGINE Andre J. Meyer, Lexington,

Ky., assignor to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a.

corporation of Virginia Application April 21, 19

8 Claims.

This invention relates to engines and more particularly to sleeve valveengines in which the sleeve valve means is ported for controlling theengine cyclical events in cooperation with cylinder intake and exhaustports and the engine piston.

Improved engine performance results from improved scavenging of thecylinder, and since in sleeve valve engines it is more difiicult toproperly scavenge the cylinder than in other types of engines, it willbe apparent that the application of improved scavenging means is ofprimary importance with a sleeve valve engine particularly one of thesingle sleeve valve type embodying a single sleeve of the the typehaving a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement.

An object of the present invention is to improve sleeve valve engineperformance by providing a positive control of engine scavenging inorder to attain improved combustion characteristics.

A further object of this invention is to attain such results byutilizing the sleeve valve means and more particularly the sleeve upperedge for controlling engine scavenging.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an engine cylinder,

Fig. 2 is a. diagram showing port area relative to crankshaft angle, and

Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive are diagrammatic showings of various positions ofthe sleeve ports relative to cylinder ports and the piston.

For convenience, the present invention is shown as embodied in an aircooled engine of the single sleeve valve type, but obviously theprinciples of this invention could be embodied in other types of sleevevalve engines as well.

The engine herein illustrated includes a cylinder structure 10, acylinder head structure H, a sleeve valve l2 operable Within thecylinder and preferably of the type having a combined reciprocating andoscillating motion. A piston I3 is operatively associated therewith. Thecylinder and sleeve valve are preferably ported for intake and exhaust,the cylinder having intake and exhaust ports I 4 and I5 respectivelywhile the sleeve valve is provided with intake and exhaust ports l6 andI! respectively, and which cooperate with the cylinder intake andexhaust ports in conjunction with the piston outer edge [8 to controlthe engine cyclical events. The sleeve valve is driven in a combinedreciprocating and oscillating motion by a. suitable sleeve driving crank19, while the piston is connected with 38, Serial No. 203,454

the engine crankshaft (not shown) by means of the usual connecting rod20.

It will be noted that the sleeve [2 is moved with a combinedreciprocating and oscillating motion substantially in the path asindicated by '55 the elliptical diagram 2| in Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive.The piston is reciprocated in the cylinder and the relative position ofthe sleeve ports with respect to the top edge E8 of the piston withrespect to the cylinder intake and exhaust ports 10 is diagrammaticallyillustrated in Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive. In Fig. 3' it will be noted thatthe sleeve is being moved downwardly relative to the cylinder and thesleeve exhaust ports I! are just opening the cylinder exhaust ports l5.The piston is moving downwardly at this time but is near the botom ofits stroke and will soon reverse its direction.

In Fig. 4 the position of the ports is shown at the beginning of theintake, the sleeve intake .20 ports just coming into registration withthe cylinder intake ports, but it will be noted that the piston ismoving outwardly of the cylinder and as the same moves very rapidly thepiston rapidly assumes a position substantially masking .25 the openingsthrough the cylinder and sleeve intake ports.

Fig. 5 is an intermediate position but shows the outer edge 22 of thesleeve as moving downwardly and beginning to uncover the cylinder .30intake and exhaust ports, thus permitting the intake gases to sweepthrough the combustion chamber to effect complete scavenging.

In Fig. 6 the piston is shown at top dead center and as completelymasking the sleeve intake .35 and exhaust ports.

Fig. '7 illustrates the piston moving downwardly and illustrates thebeginning of the main intake cycle, the sleeve at this point beginningto move outwardly of the cylinder and causing the sleeve outer edge tomove above the cylinder intake and exhaust ports to close same.

Fig. 8 illustrates the position of the ports at the end of the exhaustcycle, the end of the exhaust being controlled by arrangement in which 5the sleeve exhaust ports I! pass out of registration with the cylinderexhaust ports l5 and it will be further noted that the intake port issubstantially fully opened permitting the combustible fuel mixture torush into the engine cylinder in which it is subsequently compressed andthen fired.

It will thus be seen that I have arranged a sleeve valve engineconstruction in which the sleeve cooperates with the cylinder ports insuch 5 a way as to open a slight crack in the cylinder intake port sothat a complete scavenging of the combustion chamber takes place beforethe. commencement of the main intake cycle. This is accomplished by soconstructing the sleeve that the sleeve outer edge slightly uncoversboth the cylinder exhaust and intake ports permitting a clear sweep ofthe gases across the cylinder and effects a complete displacement ofsubstantially all of the burned gases lying therein with fresh fuelmixture.

It will be also noted that there is provided a very simple means foreifecting complete scavenging of the engine cylinder.

It will be apparent to those skilled in -the art to which this inventionpertains that various modifications and changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of this invention or from the scone ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

, 1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure, a singlesleeve valve of the combined reciprocating and oscillating type operablein said cylinder structure, said sleeve valve and cylinder havingcooperating intake and exhaust ports, and a piston operable therein,said sleeve intake port moving into registration with the cylinderintake port prior to closing of the cylinder exhaust port, said pistonmoving outwardly of the cylinder during the latter portion of the engineexhaust cycle and actuated to mask said sleeve intake and exhaust ports,said sleeve upper edge being constructed and arranged to open saidcylinder exhaust and intake ports for scavenging of the cylinder, saidpiston moving inwardly of the cylinder during the engine intake cycleand operative to unmask said sleeve intake port to substantially controlthe beginning of engine intake, said sleeve upper edge moving outwardlyof the cylinder to close the cylinder exhaust port substantially priorto the intake of the main combustible charge through said registeringsleeve and cylinder intake ports.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure, a singlesleeve valve of the combined reciprocating and oscillating type operablein said cylinder structure, said sleeve valve and cylinder havingcooperating intake and exhaust ports, and a piston operable therein andcooperating with said sleeve valve to control engine cyclical events,said sleeve valve being constructed and arranged to move its upper edgeslightly below the upper edge of said cylinder intake and exhaust portswhile said piston is in a position masking said sleeve intake andexhaust ports whereby to provide for scavening of the cylinderimmediately prior to the main engine intake cycle.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure, a singlesleeve valve of the combined reciprocating and oscillating type operablein said cylinder structure, said sleeve valve and cylinder havingcooperating intake and exhaust ports, and a piston operable therein andcooperating with said sleeve valve to control the closing and opening ofsaid sleeve exhaust and sleeve intake ports respectively, said sleevevalve being constructed and arranged to move its upper edge slightlybelow the upper edge of said cylinder intake and exhaust ports duringsuch time as when the piston is moved to a position masking said sleeveintake and exhaust ports.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure, a singlesleeve valve of the combined reciprocating and oscillating type operablein said cylinder structure, said sleeve valve and cylinder havingcooperating intake and exhaust ports, and a piston operable therein andcooperating with said sleeve valve to control the closing and opening ofsaid sleeve exhaust and sleeve intake ports respectively, said sleevevalve being constructed and arranged to move its upper edge slightlybelow the upper edge of said cylinder intake and exhaust ports to opensame, said open period of said cylinder intake and exhaust portsoverlapping the end of the engine exhaust cycle and the engine intakecycle.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder ported for intake andexhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and relativelymovable axially of said cylinder, said sleeve valve means having intakeand exhaust ports respectively cooperating with the cylinder intake andexhaust ports to control in part the engine cyclical events, and apiston operable therein and cooperating with the sleeve valve means tocontrol the engine cyclical events in conjunction with the sleeve valvemeans aforesaid, said sleeve valve means being constructed and arrangedto position its upper edge below the upper edge of said cylinder intakeand exhaust ports during such time as when the piston is moved to aposition masking said sleeve intake and exhaust ports.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder ported for intake andexhaust, sleeve valve means operable in said cylinder and relativelymovable axially of said cylinder, said sleeve valve means having intakeand exhaust ports respectively cooperating with the cylinder intake andexhaust ports to control in part the engine cyclical events, and apiston operable therein and cooperating with the sleeve valvemeans tocontrol the engine cyclical events in conjunction with the sleeve valvemeans aforesaid, said sleeve valve means being constructed and arrangedto position its upper edge below the upper edge of said cylinder intakeand exhaust ports for a predetermined time following the closing of theengine exhaust through said sleeve exhaust ports.

'7. In a sleeve valve internal combustion engine, a cylinder havingintake and exhaust ports, means controlling the engine cyclical eventsincluding a sleeve valve having intake and exhaust ports respectivelycooperating with the cylinder intake and exhaust ports and operable insaid cylinder to have a relatively reciprocating movement axiallythereof, said sleeve valve being constructed and arranged to positionits upper edge below the upper edge of said cylinder intake and exhaustports for a predetermined time following the closing of the engineexhaust through said sleeve exhaust ports.

8. In a sleeve valve internal combustion engine, a cylinder havingintake and exhaust ports, means controlling the engine cyclical eventsincluding a sleeve valve having intake and exhaust ports respectivelycooperating with the cylinder intake and exhaust ports and operable insaid cylinder to have a relatively reciprocating movement axiallythereof, said sleeve valve being constructed and arranged to positionits upper edge below the upper edge of said cylinder intake and exhaustports for a predetermined time following the closing of the engineexhaust through said sleeve exhaust ports, said sleeve valve movingupwardly to position said sleeve upper edge flush with the upper edge ofsaid cylinder intake and exhaust ports soon after the opening of theengine intake through said sleeve intake port.

ANDRE J. MEYER.

